Thread guide for tension devices



May 12, 1964 V. A. ROLLINS THREAD GUIDE FOR TENSION DEVICES Filed Sept. 27, 1961 INVENTOR. VERNON A. ROLLINS ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,132,824 THREAD GUIDE FOR TENSION DEVICES Vernon A. Rollins, 13 Racine Court, Greenville, S.C.,

assignor of fifty percent to Hardy B. Gosnell, Greenville, S.C.

Filed Sept. 27, 1961, Ser. No. 141,059 2 Claims. (Cl. 242-150) This invention relates to thread guides and more especially to a thread guide for use with a tension device having a plurality of spaced tension elements.

This invention is especially adapted for use with tensions such as employed on the Unifil Loom Winder man ufactured by the Leesona Corporation of Providence, Rhode Island. While the device will be described in connection with the Unifil Loom Winder, it will have application on other textile tension devices where a plurality of spaced tension elements are used for providing tensions when strands are rewound from one package to another.

The Unifil Loom Winder makes use of a heavy iron plate supended from four springs. Such a construction is designed to dampen loom vibration and its consequential effects upon the tension elements mounted thereon. The tension carried by the heavy iron plate includes a number of tension disc assemblies spaced so that thread traverses an arcuate path therethrough. Difiiculty has been experienced by operators, who in the rapid threading of such devices, fail to engage the yarn between each tension disc assembly or otherwise improperly threading the tension. On some occasions, especially when the tension elements are not secured at the top such as might be the case after adjusting the weights, cleaners may cause a blast of air to blow some of the tension disc elements away causing same to be damaged or lost.

Accordingly, it is an important object of this invention to provide a thread guide which will positively deliver yarn to the bite of the tension discs for threading thereby insuring proper delivery of the yarn to all of such tension elements.

Another important object of the invention is to positively confine the tension discs in their proper position and shield same from blast of air directed thereupon by cleaners and the like.

The construction designed to carry out the invention will be hereinafter described, together with other features thereof.

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of the following specification and by reference to the accompanying drawing forming a part thereof,

wherein an example of the invention is shown and wherein FIGURE 1 is a schematic perspective view illustrating the tension of a loom winder and illustrating a thread guide constructed in accordance with the present invention in use therewith,

FIGURE 2 is a plan view illustrating the thread guide shown in FIGURE 1 mounted upon the tension plate, and

FIGURE 3 is a transverse sectional elevation taken on the line 33 in FIGURE 2.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, a thread guide constructed in accordance with the present invention is illustrated as having an arcuate member A bridging a series of spaced tension disc assemblies and being superposed thereupon. A downwardly disposed side B is carried by the bridging member A extending about the periphery thereof below the upper surface of the upper tension disc of each assembly. A downwardly and inwardly extending convex surface C, which is carried by the side B, positively guides yarn into the bite of the tension discs of each assembly. It will be noted that the surface C passes around the arcuate end portions of the 3,132,824 Patented May 12, 1964 member A so as to extend across the entire delivery area of the yarn. Suitable means in the form of a lock wire D is provided to maintain the bridging member in fixed position above the tension disc assemblies.

As is mentioned above, a heavy iron plate 10 is carried by a plurality of springs 11, one spring 11 being positioned at each corner of the plate 10. Tension disc assemblies are carried by a plurality of spaced studs 12 which are mounted in an arcuate path upon the plate 10. The studs 12 include an intermediate portion 12a and an upper portion 12b defining an annular groove therebetween. A reduced lower portion 12d is positioned as by a pressed fit in a bore 10a within the plate 10.

The yarn Y is fed from a filling supply package 13 mounted on the back of the Unifil machine through an opening 14 in the plate 10 around the first of the series of spaced tensioning units and successively through the remaining tensioning units through the filling guide 15 to a quill winding unit where it is wound upon the quill 16. The filling guide 15 is mounted upon a bracket 15a which is carried by the plate 10.

The bridging member A has a flat upper surface 17 and is integral with the sides B defining a recess 18 accommodating the tension assemblies. The upper plate 17 has a plurality of spaced apertures 19 which has a further reduced bore 19a presenting a shoulder 20 which bears upon a porcelain sleeve 21 surrounding the stud 12.

The recess 18 serves as a housing for the tension assemblies which include a lower disc 22 and an upper disc 23 presenting opposed mating surfaces to each other. These two discs 22 and 23 are carried by the stud 12 which positions a washer 24 above and within the upper tension disc 23. A suitable weight or weights 25 are carried by the washer to sufiiciently bias the tension disc to provide suitable tension. The sides B include a rear portion 26 as well as arcuate end portions 27 and 28. It is the function of the side portions B and the downwardly and inwardly inclined surface C presented thereby to guide the yarn Y into the bite of each of the pairs of ten sion discs 22 and 23.

It is thus seen that the thread guides constructed in accordance with the present invention are effective in positively positioning the components of tension devices insuring the application of proper tension to yarn passing through the tension. Such thread guides are further effective in positively guiding and positioning the yarn in the tension assemblies preventing the yarn from becoming entangled or failing to thread completely through each tensioning device.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been described using specific terms, such description is for illustrative purposes only, and it is to be understood that changes and variations may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A thread guide for a tension device having a series of spaced disc tension units, each applying tension to yarn passing into the bite of and between upper and lower tension discs comprising each unit including, a member bridging said series of-spaced tension discs and being superposed thereupon, a downwardly disposed side carried by said member extending about the periphery thereof slightly below the upper surface of the upper tension disc but terminating adjacent the bite of the tension discs, a downwardly and inwardly extending surface carried by said downwardly disposed side positively guiding yarn into the bite of the tension discs, said surface extending across the entire delivery area of the yarn, and means fixing said member in position above the tension discs, whereby the tension discs are prevented from being dislodged, and whereby yarn is positively delivered to the bite of the tension discs.

2. A thread guide for a tension device having a series 0 discs and being superposed thereupon, a downwardly disposed side carried by said member extending about the periphery thereof slightly below the upper surface of the upper tension disc but terminating adjacent the bite of the tension discs, 21 downwardly and inwardly extending said surface extending across the entire delivery area of the yarn, and means fixing said member in position above the tension discs, whereby the tension discs are prevented from being dislodged, and whereby yarn is positively delivered to the bite of the tension discs.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,798,516 Beachen Mar. 31, 1931 2,735,632 Robinette et al Feb. 21, 1956 2,965,332 Perry Dec. 20, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 683,590 France Mar. 3, 1930 1,003,920 France Nov. 21, 1951 

1. A THREAD GUIDE FOR A TENSION DEVICE HAVING A SERIES OF SPACED DISC TENSION UNITS, EACH APPLYING TENSION TO YARN PASSING INTO THE BITE OF AND BETWEEN UPPER AND LOWER TENSION DISCS COMPRISING EACH UNIT INCLUDING, A MEMBER BRIDGING SAID SERIES OF SPACED TENSION DISCS AND BEING SUPERPOSED THEREUPON, A DOWNWARDLY DISPOSED SIDE CARRIED BY SAID MEMBER EXTENDING ABOUT THE PERIPHERY THEREOF SLIGHTLY BELOW THE UPPER SURFACE OF THE UPPER TENSION DISC BUT TERMINATING ADJACENT THE BITE OF THE TENSION DISCS, A DOWNWARDLY AND INWARDLY EXTENDING SURFACE CARRIED BY SAID DOWNWARDLY DISPOSED SIDE POSITIVELY GUIDING YARN INTO THE BITE OF THE TENSION DISCS, SAID SURFACE EXTENDING ACROSS THE ENTIRE DELIVERY AREA OF THE YARN, AND MEANS FIXING SAID MEMBER IN POSITION ABOVE THE TENSION DISCS, WHEREBY THE TENSION DISCS ARE PREVENTED FROM BEING DISLODGED, AND WHEREBY YARN IS POSITIVELY DELIVERED TO THE BITE OF THE TENSION DISCS. 